WO2011148318A1

WO2011148318A1 - An expandable container

Info

Publication number: WO2011148318A1
Application number: PCT/IB2011/052264
Authority: WO
Inventors: Deevin Avairis
Original assignee: Deevin Avairis
Priority date: 2010-05-25
Filing date: 2011-05-25
Publication date: 2011-12-01
Also published as: CA2800703A1; CN103025618A; MX2012013692A; US20130168401A1; AU2011259764A1

Abstract

An expandable container has a bellows portion within its body that permits the container to change volume as the bellows portion expands or collapses.

Description

AN EXPANDABLE CONTAINER

Technical Field

The invention is within the field of containers. Specifically the invention is an expandable container.

Background Art

Containers, such as peanut butter containers, typically come in a rigid form. That is, the container is unable to expand or contract to accommodate a variable volume of material inside the container. To use a peanut butter container as an example, as the contents of the container are consumed it becomes increasingly difficult to obtain peanut butter from the bottom of the container. Alternatively, it may be necessary to transfer a volume of material from, for example, a metal container, to a container that does not corrode once exposed to air. The transferring container may be larger than the receiving container and so it is necessary to search for a container having sufficient volume to hold all of the contents of the can. In both cases it would be beneficial to have a container that was expandable or collapsible. For an expandable container, the volume can change from small to larger. For a collapsible container the volume can decrease and move the floor of the container closer to the mouth of the container to access contents in the bottom of the container.

Technical Problem

Technical Solution

The present invention overcomes the shortcomings noted above by providing an expandable container. The container has a first configuration which is a collapsed configuration and a first volume. The container has a second configuration which is an expanded configuration with a second volume that is larger than the first volume. The body of the container is a continuous membrane with a bellows portion formed in the side of the body that is able to expand and contract as desired.

Advantageous Effects

The invention has the following advantages:

1. The expandable container has a changeable volume.

2. The expandable container permits access to material contained in the bottom of the container.

3. The expandable container can be sold empty as a storage container having a varying volume or the container can be sold with contents in the expanded configuration that is able to collapse as the contents are emptied from the container.

Description of Drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention in an expanded configuration.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 1 in a collapsed configuration.

Figure 3 is a side view of one embodiment of the invention in an expanded configuration.

Figure 4 is a side view of the embodiment of Figure 3 in a collapsed configuration.

Best Mode

Mode for Invention

Referring now to the figures, the invention 10 is an expandable container shown generally as 10 comprising a body 12 having a bottom portion 14, a top portion 16 and a bellows portion 18 disposed between the bottom portion 14 and the top portion 16. Figure 1 and Figure 3 show the bellows portion 18 in a fully expanded configuration as it would appear when filled with a consumable material such as peanut butter. The consumable material would have a full level 20within the expandable container proximate to the top portion 16. The container would assume a partially collapsed configuration (not illustrated) between the fully expanded configuration shown in Figure 1 and the fully collapsed configuration shown in Figure 2 when the consumable material was partially depleted. In Figure 2 and Figure 4 there is illustrated a fully collapsed configuration wherein the bellows portion 18 is fully compressed. In the configuration shown in Figure 2 and Figure 4 the consumable material would be nearly depleted however the top surface of the consumable material within the container would remain at a level 20 proximate to the top portion 16 of the container. Advantageously, this permits access to the contents of the container even when the contents are depleted without having to resort to long handled implements and ensure little wastage of the consumable.

To collapse the expandable container it is only required to apply an axial 22 compressive hand force on the top surface 24 of the container that is sufficient to overcome the natural resiliency of the bellows portion 18. Similarly, to expand the container, a similar axial tensile hand force is required to expand the bellows. The ability to collapse the bellows 18 as the consumable is depleted permits the level of consumable material remains proximate to the top portion and easily extracted from the expandable container.

In the embodiments shown in the figures, the expandable container body 12 is cylindrical as this is a typical shape of a consumable container. However, it is possible to adopt other shapes such as ovoid and even rectangular.

The bottom portion 14 comprises a floor 26 and a non-expandable wall 28. The non-expandable wall 28 further comprises a first indentation 30 and a first band 32. First indentation 30 provides more flexibility to the bottom portion wall when axial forces are being applied compressively so that the wall 28 is not over stressed and fractured. The band 32 provides a suitable boundary layer between the bottom portion 14 and the bellows portion 18.

The top portion 16 comprises an open mouth 40 for receiving and extracting the consumable material. The top portion 16 further comprises a threaded neck 42 disposed contiguously below the open mouth 40 for accepting a threaded closure (not illustrated) to seal the open mouth. The threaded neck 42 also comprises an abutment 44 to create an air-tight sealing engagement with the threaded closure to maintain the consumables fresh.

The top portion 16 further comprises an outwardly flared non-expandable wall section 46 disposed contiguously from the abutment. Below the flared wall section 46 there is a second band 48 disposed contiguously from the flared wall section and a second indentation 50 disposed contiguously from the second band 48. The second indentation 50 provides additional flexibility and force absorption during the application of an axial hand force. This helps to ensure that the hand force does not damage the bellows or over-compress the bottom portion 14. Beneath the second indentation is a third band 52 disposed contiguously from the second indentation 50. The third band 52 forms a boundary between the top portion 16 and the bellows portion 18.

The bellows portion 18 is disposed contiguously between the third band 52 and the first band 32.

The bellows portion comprises a contiguous series of interlocking discs 60 so that the bellows portion 18 remains in a desired configuration until a sufficient hand force is applied axially either compressively to further collapse the bellows or in tension to expand the bellows. Each disc of the series of interlocking discs comprises a top wall 62, a bottom wall 64 and a protruding ring 66 disposed between the top wall and the bottom wall. The ring 66 is adapted to permit the bottom wall 64 to fold upwards into the top wall 62 as illustrated by arrow 69 and retain the bottom wall in folded configuration as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 4.

In one embodiment the invention the container is a moulded plastic container.

In another embodiment of the invention the container is sufficiently flexible to permit hand grasping.

Industrial Applicability

Sequence List Text

Claims

An expandable container comprising:

a. A body having a bottom portion, a top portion and a bellows portion disposed between said bottom portion and said top portion;

b. A fully expanded configuration when filled with a consumable materialso that said consumable material has a level within said expandable container proximate to said top portion;

c. A partially collapsed configuration when said consumable material is partially depleted; and,

d. A fully collapsed configuration when the consumable material is nearly depleted;

e. Wherein a sufficient hand force axially applied will collapse said bellows portion so that said level of consumable material remains proximate to the top portion and easily extracted from the expandable container.
The expandable container of claim 1 wherein said body is cylindrical.
The expandable container of claim 2 wherein said bottom portion comprises a floor and a non-expandable wall.
The expandable container of claim 3 wherein said non-expandable wall further comprises a first indentation and a first band.
The expandable container of claim 1 wherein said top portion comprises an open mouth for receiving and extracting the consumable material.
The expandable container of claim 5 wherein the top portion further comprises a threaded neck for accepting a threaded closure to seal said open mouth.
The expandable container of claim 6 wherein said threaded neck further comprises an abutment for sealing engagement with said threaded closure.
The expandable container of claim 7 wherein the top portion further comprises an outwardly flared non-expandable wall section disposed contiguously from said abutment.
The expandable container of claim 8 wherein the top portion further comprises a second band disposed contiguously from said outwardly flared non-expandable wall section, a second indentation disposed contiguously from said second band and a third band disposed contiguously from said second indentation.
The expandable container of claim 9 wherein said bellows portion is disposed contiguously between said third band and the first band.
The expandable container of claim 10 wherein the bellows portion comprises a contiguous series of interlocking discs so that the bellows portion remains in a desired configuration until said sufficient hand force is applied.
The expandable container of claim 11 wherein a disc of said series of interlocking discs comprises a top wall, a bottom wall and a ring disposed between said top wall and said bottom wall, wherein said ring is adapted to permit the bottom wall to fold upwards into said top wall and retain the bottom wall in folded configuration.
The expandable container of claim 1 wherein the container is a moulded plastic container.
1. The expandable container of claim 13 wherein the container is sufficiently flexible to permit hand grasping.